


Charging Backwards

by speakingofalice



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Broken Bones, Chases, Hurt Leonardo (TMNT), Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23018731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/speakingofalice/pseuds/speakingofalice
Summary: He charged at full force. He ran hard, not caring if anyone saw him. He forced his legs to go faster, he needed to get away. He sprinted as hard as his legs would take him... away from the enemy.A tactical retreat, he would call it.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Reposted from ff.net

It had been an ambush; of course it had been an ambush. After seventeen years they finally figured out the correct way to get him, they finally put the pieces together and realized that he always protected the weak.

In this case the weak being a screaming woman with her clothes in tatters and a Purple Dragon practically on top of her, about to do the unthinkable.

Leonardo had chosen a new path to go home on, not the normal one that he had already ran hours ago with his brothers. He had felt restless, cooped up when they had returned to the lair. They had already patrolled Topside that night and found nothing out of the ordinary. So, the brothers had returned home and broke off to their own vices.

Michelangelo had run to his video games whooping and hollering about wanting to beat the high score Raph had set earlier in the day.

Raphael had bid a sarcastic ado to the family claiming he would be in the garage for the remainder of the night supping up his bright red motorcycle that he fondly called _Baby._

Donatello, no surprise to his family, had called over his shoulder to his brothers as he ventured into his lab. He had broadcasted loudly to the entire lair full of four turtles that they were not to bother him for the next three hours under the penalty of death and possible experimentation.

This had left Leonardo standing by the lair door with no want to read or meditate or even train. He wished Master Splinter would come home from his yearly pilgrimage early so they could play a round of chess or talk.

Splinter had journeyed to Japan last week, as he always did in the month of April, to visit the foreign lands and feel the peaceful bliss of being back in the ancient county. Leonardo also suspected Splinter valued his short time away from his four growing, rambunctious, teenaged sons though he would bet the old rat would never admit it.

Leo had sighed, feeling restless.

Finally, after much deliberation he turned back to the closed door of the lair and shouted behind him that he was going to go on a run. None of his brothers, or at least the ones who could hear him, said anything back to affirm they had even heard him, but that was fine. He would be back soon enough.

Leo had taken a new route thinking it would be exhilarating being on his own on less traveled rooftops. About an hour after he left the lair he glanced up at the sky to see thick clouds obstructing the moonlight. He knew how it went so the rain clouds didn't surprise him.

_April shower bring May flowers._

He liked flowers just as much as he liked the rain but he wasn't too keen on getting drenched to the bone tonight. It had already been such a long day. Reluctantly, Leo had just rounded the corner for home when he heard the terrified shriek below him. He slid to a stop literally feeling the heavy air seep into his lungs from the impending storm. The storm didn't bother him as much when he heard the shriek again and a smile crossed his face slowly.

_Finally, some excitement._

He didn't charge into battle all half-assed with eyes dark fury. He didn't go looking for trouble. No, that was Raph's department and besides, he didn't have to go looking because trouble always seemed to find him. He was a magnet that only attracted trouble.

The old run down saying; _turtle luck running true to form_ echoed in his head. It was Raph's favorite line whenever something went wrong or plans abruptly changed.

True, Leo didn't jump into battle but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy a good rumble. That's where his brothers pegged him wrong, he was a level-headed leader but, a level-headed leader who loved to dish up a big can of whoopass against criminals or gangsters who disturbed the relative peace that laid over New York City on rare occasions.

It was on the third bloodcurdling scream that sounded as if it were right next to him that Leo peered over the rooftop and saw the scantily clad woman being taken advantage of. The protector in Leo won out over his want to just stand by and wait for a Good Samaritan to come to the woman's rescue. He hopped over the roof catching a ring of the fire escape to slow his fall before flipping twice to land next to a man dressed in black.

Leonardo was still enshrouded in the shadows of night when his voice rang out crisp, "You know what I hate?" He asked not really wanting an answer. The man quickly jumped off the woman who had stopped screaming and whimpering at the sound of Leo's voice. The man did not turn around but stayed stiff facing the woman who was guarded from Leo's view.

Leo continued, "I hate you thugs who think that just because you _can_ means you _should_."

The man didn't move and neither did the woman.

"I'm going to give you thirty seconds to walk away slowly before I run you through," Leo touched the hilt of one of his katana. It clinked and rustled in its sheath.

The man turned to him, a smile seeping across his face.

Leo was prepared for the man to attack him but what he wasn't ready for the woman to charge at him as well.

In retrospect, he really should have seen the purple tattoo on the man's neck and the matching dragon across the woman's uncovered stomach.

The man rushed him with a small blade glinting in the moonlight in his right hand. Leo easily took the man down without even unsheathing his blades. He was thick and clunky, unable to handle the turtle’s quick dive and solid uppercut. The woman, however, was a completely and incredibly frustrating surprise. She attacked with fury and speed. She used her fists that had brass knuckles taped against her hands to lash out at him. Leo tried to duck to the side but the woman was swift where the man had been burly and easily smashed her clenched hand across his cheek.

Leo spit blood then drew his swords. He was finished playing games with this woman who was still practically naked. With one clean swipe the woman was on the ground and bloody next to the man, a thin slice right through the purple dragon on her stomach being the killing blow.

He wiped the blood from his chin slightly out of breath and pissed as hell that his rescue mission had turned into an all out fight with the damsel in distress.

It was then he heard it; the sound of a hallow pipe hitting a thick hand, the grunt of deep voices from behind him.

Leo quickly turned, his eyes widened in terror. Behind him stood what looked to be the entire Purple Dragon gang with Dragon Face in the lead. Abruptly, the blue banded turtle looked up to the rooftops knowing he was out numbered here on the ground. Leo would've gasped if he hadn't had so much control over himself. There, on the rooftop were dozens of men and woman lining both sides.

The word _ambush_ and _I'm an idiot_ played through his head. He thought of his shell cell that was still laying on his bedside table, completely useless to him at this moment. Again the words _I'm an idiot_ drifted through his mind.

”You know what I hate?" Dragon Face mocked with a snarl on his half tattooed face. "Turtles!"

A single drop of rain splashed on Leo's swollen check and they attacked. In a flash the gang pounced on Leo from all sides.

Leonardo whipped his other sword out slicing the throat of the nearest man who crumpled to the ground without a word. Another woman took the fallen man's place stepping on his body in the tight space. Leo sensed a baseball bat swinging down to his head. He tried to move at the last second while also trying to dodge a knife coming for his chest.

He only managed to dodge one.

The knife grazed his side, far off course from its goal of stabbing him in the heart, but the bat made contact.

The metal baseball bat smashed into his right collarbone with so much force Leo had to drop his katana then bite his lip to stop the scream of pain. He heard, actually _heard_ his collarbone crack and shatter. Stars exploded in his vision as his body was engulfed with pain. Fire burned at his shoulder then worked its way through his whole body. Another two drops of rain slapped at his face

Though he was in pain he didn't skip a beat. Leonardo blocked another attack to his left side before slicing a Dragon's throat. His body went into auto pilot, protecting him with only half his brain fully functioning. The other half tried to fight off a wave of dizziness and the want to pass out from the burning in his shoulder.

He could feel his bones rattling around.

He wanted to throw up.

Finally, Leo made the executive decision that maybe he should get the _shell_ out of there.

He knew when he was outmatched, outnumbered. He was not out skilled but the odds were fifty to one. The best option in his situation was to run rather than fight.

All the skill and Bushido in the world couldn't stop fifty semi-trained men and woman with guns and chains and pipes.

It had been a long day event before all swan diving into this alley to save that stupid woman.

_Yeah, some thanks I get for trying to save her life._

Cradling his injured arm and shoulder against his plastron Leonardo sheathed his remaining sword, the other one being lost under the feet and bodies around him, and jumped up. The fire escape was steady enough for him so shove himself up then catapult to the roof.

More Dragons were up there waiting for him. Without even thinking he bulldozed through them running a few surprised women over who had naively assumed he would stay and fight them. Leonardo was no coward but he also wasn’t an idiot. He got to the other side of the roof and jumped with a grunt

He landed on the next roof staggering slightly as his vision dimmed around its edges. He grabbed his shoulder and cringed as bolts of lava ran inside his body. He could already feel the swelling and see the bruising blossoming over his skin.

After forcing his stiff body to continue on Leo covered three more roofs before he chanced a glance behind him and cursed.

 _Why the hell are these guys jumping over the damn roofs?!_ He growled to himself amazed the Dragons were advancing through the rooftops as skillfully as any Foot ninja. They were all chasing after him, jumping between the wide gaps of the rooftops with ease.

Again Leo cursed and turned around needing to get away from the advancing Dragons.

He ran away from the enemy, as fast as he could.

A tactical retreat, he would call it.

He ran and jumped as hard as he could. He willed his legs to go faster, he needed to _fly_ away from those gangsters who wanted his head.

He gripped his injured arm closer to himself dearly wanting a sling to put it in so it would quit bumping and swinging and bashing against him.

The sky opened up as he ran drenching his body and washing away the blood that seeped from multiple cuts. The rain made it hard for him to catch himself as he jumped to another roof. He needed to get to a manhole, get into the sewers. He needed to get home to his brothers. He needed Donnie to look at his collarbone. He needed a break to catch his breath.

Again he looked behind him and cursed to the high heavens. The Purple Dragons had gotten closer.

So, he ran, ran as fast as he could, as fast as his legs would take him. An unbelieving, rueful smile caught at the edge of his lips for a moment as a thought raced across his mind.

There was nothing quite like a fearless leader charging _backwards_.


	2. Chapter 2

Fearless, that's what Raphael always calls him

_Fearless._

_Yeah, fearlessly charging in the wrong direction,_ Leonardo cursed as he continued on his mad dash to get away from the Purple Dragons who were right on his tail. The dragons were jumping over the rooftops as if they were the Goddamned Foot clan.

_Since when do they even take to the roofs? Aren't these thugs supposed to hide in drug houses and terrorize the street at night, from the ground?_

A bullet flew past Leonardo's head making a whizzing sound as it chipped the cement rooftop. Another bullet zipped past his ear before embedding itself in a nearby chimney.

 _And now they're firing at me,_ Leo could have laughed had this been any other night and he wasn't running for his life.

The Purple Dragons didn't scare him; they were punks and teenagers who sold their soul to their gang.

Of course, Leo was also a teenager and Raph called him a punk all the time but, that was besides the point. They were still unskilled kids with guns who just wanted a place to fit in.

Other than the occasional drug bust and face smashing Leo bore the Dragons no ill will... except when they broke into a store or stole from a bank or mugged innocent people or... Well, okay, he did hate the Dragons. He hated the way they never seemed to stop multiplying and how their ages always seemed to get younger and younger. Hell, half of their faces still had baby fat pudging at their cheeks.

They were children. Mean, nasty, smelly, children who were old enough to tote guns in their pockets but, still children all the same.

Granted, Leo was just above a child himself but again, that's beside the point.

Leonardo was the leader of his clan, he was a ninja and most importantly, he was a kick ass turtle.

So, in reality he was far superior to these gun slinging gangsters who were shooting at his head. Except, he guessed, he wasn't that superior because he still charged right into that ambush trying to save that woman.

 _I'm running away, bullets flying past my head and I'm injured. This night couldn't get any better,_ he barked sarcastically in his head as he rounded a corner trying to throw off the Dragons. Cradling his injured shoulder Leo gritted his teeth and sucked in a breath then jumped over a particularly large gap between rooftops. Big, thick rain drops pelted his body as he slid and slipped across a roof that was flooded with rain water.

He ran to the other side of the roof and ducked another bullet he sensed coming for the back of his head before he wheeled around to check on his enemies progress.

 _You've got to be kidding me_ , he growled then sighed at the same time as he laid eyes upon Purple Dragons who were advancing on him quickly. The Dragons were only about three or four roofs away and were gaining ground fast. They were close enough for Leo to see the snarls on their faces and the glints of their guns as they trained them on his forehead.

Before a bullet could be fired into his face he swung around to continue to run through the rain. He whirled around so fast his arm jarred out of his grasp then pulled angrily. Leo had to clench his teeth hard to stop the scream that threatened to tear through his throat. He had broken his collarbone before and knew from experience that he could still run and fight, it just hurt like hell.

 _I need to get to the sewers,_ he thought leaping to another roof.

The heavens opened up even more unleashing a hellfire fury of heavy droplets of rain on him as lighting danced across the sky and thunder clapped loudly. It was a cold rain and it chilled Leo to the bone. The rain was so thick he could barely see his hand in front of his face. Distantly, Leonard had the strangest sense of deja vu as he licked some of the rain water that was cascading past his lips. His heart started to beat double time as a thought struck him. In his mind he could recall a day such as this one. He could see Hun chasing after him, ninja practically evaporating into thin air then throwing him across a rooftop. He could smell the insence of sandalwood and metal polish from the Shredder's Elite Guard. Then... Leonardo gulped, he could see in his minds' eye the Shredder himself brandished his gauntlet in all his evil might and glory and more alive than he thought he would ever see again. 

Leonardo had been bested that day. Beaten, hurt, ground to a pulp then thrown like a rag doll through April's apartment as if he were nothing. 

With herculean effort, Leonardo shook himself from the memory. This night was not like that day. He had survived that encounter. His brothers, father and friends had survived that day. And they had all thrived from it. The Shredder was gone and at this moment he was not the one Leonardo had to fear. 

More rain washed down his face. It was so thick he could hardly see the gap between roofs. 

_If I can't see through the rain,_ he plotted, _then they probably can't see me!_

Without thinking twice Leo dropped down between a gap in the rooftops. He stretched his good arm out to catch the side of the fire escape just the same was as he had grabbed the other fire escape earlier while trying to save the damned damsel in distress. The difference was, last time the metal wasn't slick with rain water.

It didn't even cross the leaders mind to take into account the ladder would be wet and slippery until after his three large fingers went to grab for the cold metal only to have them slip off. Leo cried out and his heart clenched in his chest as the feeling of weightlessness overwhelmed him. He tried desperately to grab for another part - any part - of the fire escape but his hands were too slippery and his fall was already too fast.

He couldn't stop himself.

It was a large metal dumpster that Leonardo slammed into first before flopping over to bounce against the cold, wet cement of the alley. Stars exploded in his vision making him feel nauseous and dizzy. He bashed himself in the face with his good arm in his haste to stop his mouth from screaming in agony.

He had fallen from roofs before and landed similarly to how he was now but something about the whole slamming-into-a-huge-ass-dumpster thing hurt a lot more than just plummeting to the ground in a free fall.

Leo groaned as he cautiously moved different parts of his body mentally checking himself over. It wasn't until he moved his left leg that he hissed in pain. Burning shot up from the bottom of his knee all the way to his neck and shoulders making him shudder. For a moment all Leo could feel was the anguish his knee gave off as wave after wave crept up his body. After the first initial shock the pain in his knee receded into a dull throb that matched his heart beat. Slowly Leo opened his eyes, blinking back annoying drops of rain. He gently pulled himself up into a sitting position to take a look at his throbbing knee. He cursed again seeing a trickle of blood being washed away by the pouring rain coming from the bottom of his knee cap.

His knee was twisted at a sickening angle and was already bruising near the bottom. His knee pad had been ripped away, he noticed as he gazed down at his bare and bloody leg. The mangled pad was a few feet away, soaking wet and completely useless as it didn't protect his knee at all.

 _You'd think knee pads would help against knee injuries_ , he huffed, biting hard on his cheek. _I'm going to have Donnie call that guy who we bought these from and demand a refund._

Leo knew he probably wouldn't do that but the thought of being able to blame someone else for his hellish predicament was a little relieving.

"Take the East Side! Look in all the dumpsters then go into the sewers. The freaks gotta be around here somewhere! Hun wants his head and the first Dragon who gets it gets a wealthy reward!" a deep voice yelled from right over Leo coming from the top of the building.

Leo could barely hear him over the pounding of the rain hitting everything around him, including himself, but he heard enough to know he had to get the shell out if there.

 _Dammit!_ Quickly Leo grabbed at his knee with his good arm, sucked in a breath, then twisted it the right way. He groaned as he heard a _pop_ and more stars played over his vision making his head swim and shutter.

There was nothing around him so he had to put all of his weight on his uninjured arm and leg before he hoisted himself up with a grunt and only a small barrage of curses Splinter would not agree with. Gaining his footing he gingerly put pressure on his bare and injured leg. At first it didn't hurt then he took a step and could have screamed as more spots of fire shot up his body.

He heard rustling being him and looked up just in time to see four dark shadows of Purple Dragons shooting over the alley he was currently suffering in.

"Turtle, turtle, turtle! Come out, come out where ever you are," a voice that wasn't as deep as the first singsonged loudly in the rain. The voice came from the mouth of the alley.

Calling on all the ninja skills he possessed Leo threw himself back against the side of the ally and prayed to the Almighty that the Dragon didn't see him. Slowly, gradually, he added more and more pressure to his leg hoping it could support his body weight just enough so he could run if he needed to.

Leo felt the rain pelting his skin light up some as fewer drops landed on the ground in front of him.

All at once, as if the cup of water God was pouring over New York City had finally reached its end, the rain stopped.

Altogether, the world went silent as it always did after a storm. There was a calm before a storm as well as after. Quite frankly, the calm after the storm was worse than before because now Leo had no cover to hide his heavy and labored breathing.

The blue banded turtle sucked in a quick breath then held it as he pressed himself further into the wall willing the shadows to engulf his body.

"There you are, freak!" spat an ugly voice from down the alley

 _That's what I get for counting on shadows,_ Leo grumbled before he leaped out grabbing his single katana and landing hard on his good leg. He lowered himself down into an attack position while at the same time angling his injured side away from the Dragon.

Leo narrowed his eyes as he saw the Dragon, two more thugs behind him, walking closer. Leo prepared to be attacked and attack back with fury.

"Calm down Blue, just put that knife away and come wit' us an' we won't hurt ya too bad," the night was dark but light enough for Leo to make out the gangsters large silhouettes. The one who spoke was broad but the two behind him weren't that big. Leo knew he could take them.

At least, that's what he thought before he saw four more thugs jump down into the alley behind the three already advancing at him.

_Seven... Now there are seven, wonderful._

Seven thugs were now close enough Leo could smell their unwashed bodies and tobacco stained breath. He could handle seven, wouldn't be easy but Leonardo was a ninja, seven wasn't all that bad. He crouched down farther waiting for the right moment to strike.

Then he sensed it, eight more humans jumping down behind him. He sensed them and let out an exasperated breath a second before eight sets of boots landed on the wet ground behind him.

Three Leo could handle with ease, seven was pushing it a bit, fifteen and it was time to get the shell out of there.

Slowly, with his single katana still out and ready to slice someone's throat, Leo backed up against the side of alley watching both groups of Dragons enclose him. Keeping his eyes on the enemies he spied a manhole cover not four feet from away.

 _Thank you God!_ He cried in his head still keeping his eyes dark and face expressionless.

In one fluid motion he sheathed his sword and had the manhole cover flung aside. Without thinking twice Leo dropped down and disappeared into the dim lights of the sewer tunnels below hearing a chorus of shouts behind him.

"Blue!"

"Demon!"

"Dammit!"

As soon as his feet hit the sewer water Leo shot off trying to get as much space between him and the Dragons as possible. His shoulder took a backseat to his leg that protested every step and every movement.

Leo could have screamed in annoyance when he heard the tell tale sounds of boots hitting sewer water and thundering after him.

_These people are relentless!_

He huffed for breath as he rounded a corner, he was heading deliberately away from his home.

As he ran down another tunnel he stopped suddenly seeing a service door that was cracked open and just big enough for him to squeeze his shell into. He dashed inside of it then closed the door just enough for it to seem closed tight but still allowing enough of a crack so he could see the gangsters progress in the sewer.

Not a minute later twenty Purple Dragons ran passed his hiding spot heading down the sewer tunnel. One of the men yelled out to the rest, "We ain't leavin' till we find 'im! He's gotta be 'ere somewhere!"

Gently Leo closed the door all the way without it even clicking as it shut. Then he slid down the wall, exhausted and hurting. His eyes were wide in the complete darkness of what he could tell was a small storage room.

His tried to calm his breathing by taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly. He could feel his heartbeat in the crook of his shoulder as well as the bottom of his knee.

After three minutes of forcing himself to calm down his body finally did enough so he could think straight. Just outside the door he heard the sounds of water splashing as more heavy boots ran by.

Slowly Leo got to his feet again noticing that now that his adrenalin was pumping he didn't feel the throbbing in his knee so much. He applied more pressure to it and was surprised when he realized he could handle the fire rolling from his leg. There was nothing he could do about his shoulder but he could handle the pain in his leg.

Leonardo righted himself and grunted. He was finished running. He couldn't let these Dragons get anywhere near his home, his brothers. He knew he couldn't take the entire gang on by himself but, he realized as a smile spread across his face, _I don't have to take them all at once._

He was finished running, it was time to divide them up and destroy them in small groups.

It was time to divide and conquer.


	3. Chapter 3

_It was only supposed to be a short run around the block because I felt too cooped up in the lair. Why does every bad thing that happens to me always start like that?_

It was only supposed to be a training run - _then I was attacked by the entire Foot Clan._

It was only supposed to be a game of ninja tag - _attacked by those wooden soldiers from the Ninja Tribunal._

 _Alright,_ Leonardo decided leaning heavily against the damp sewer wall, _I've made the executive decision that I am never going running again. I will stay in the Lair and get fat and lazy._ Leonardo nodded to nothing but the walls affirming his own statement.

He heard a sound like feet sloshing through the sewer from right outside his hide out. The Dragons were getting close; he tried to sink even further away from the closed door but the cramped space of the storage closet gave little room.

He knew he had to get moving before his adrenalin dropped and the feeling of being invincible ceased to exist. But how? He needed a plan. Divide and conquer sure, but how exactly?

 _How do I get just a few of them at once? The Dragons are like bugs I can't squish and even when I do they seem to just multiply. I kill one and five more jump in their place, its_ annoying _._

Leo shook his head trying to center his thoughts. He stopped moving abruptly after a two shakes as the movement pulled on his shoulder and his hissed in pain. He wanted to grab at his collarbone in hopes that holding it would stop the pounding but he knew touching it would be just one of the many stupid mistakes he'd made tonight.

He shifted his body back until he was in the corner of the small sewage shed then he took his weight off of his bad knee. He held is hand out in front of him to touch the door with the tips of his fingers. While holding up his good arm he felt a familiar itch irritate his skin from his wrist to his elbow. In the darkness of the small room he couldn't see what was drying on his skin, but he knew. Without thinking he brought back his good arm to rub it against his cheek in an attempt to scratch the itch.

Leonardo stopped as soon as he brought his arm close to his face, a familiar smell filled his nostrils. He knew that smell, he didn't know who it belonged to but that didn't really matter. Whatever Dragon's blood stained his arm wouldn't be needing it anymore.

Leo thought for a second that it didn't make sense, shouldn't the rain have washed all the blood away? Then he remembered the hunched way in which he had run over the roofs. He had charged away from the enemy with his both arms pulled tightly across his midsection trying to stop his bad arm from jolting.

Leonardo shivered, he would never get used to the feeling of blood drying on him. It was something that itched while it dried and itched while he peeled it off then itched when nothing was there.

"Focus Leo, focus," he whispered hoarsely to himself.

He took a deep breath, held it, brought himself together then let it out slowly through his nose. Now would be a good time to come up with one of my legendary plans, he thought sarcastically.

Mentally he calculated the numbers he had seen and heard running through the sewers; sixty-four feet had hit the sewer water running past his closed door which means thirty-two Dragons in all. Two different groups passed at forty seconds in between them. One group must be going to the left of the tunnels and another going to the right. Leo could remember that the first group had less members, he had only heard about fifteen pairs of feet. If the first group had fifteen that meant the other had seventeen thugs... the odds are definitely not in my favor.

He shook away that thought and continued on. In his head his natural battle instincts and strategies started to form. Leo figured he was probably three miles from the lair. Regularly that would be a half an hour of hard running to get there but now...

He looked down at his swollen knee then sucked in a breath as he accidentally jarred his shoulder again, _I won't be doing any hard running again anytime soon._

His shell scrapped against the side of the tiny room reminding him of the fact that he now only had one katana. Leo could have punched himself in the face and screamed profanities to no one but the walls for his stupidity. He only owned a grand total of one pair of swords. He had bokken and endless amount if practice katana but none even rivaled that of his blessed blades he had foraged himself back when he was fifteen.

 _Yeah, back when,_ he chuckled dryly at his hellish situation, _all those years ago when I was fifteen._

It felt longer than two years had passed since he had foraged his swords with Raphael's help. He'd spent days bending the scrap metal over itself until it was smooth and sharp and lethal, just like him.

Leo forced himself to breathe away his anger. Now was not the time to mourn over the lost extension of himself.

At first it was just a whisper of a sound, barely audible and even less of a murmur. Then the sound repeated itself again: two feet running fast, Leo knew the sound of running feet through sewer sludge. He heard the sound again, louder this time. Four feet... eight... twelve. In total Leonardo counted fifteen pairs of thick and heavy feet trying to maneuver through the tunnels.

_This must be the first group that followed me down here coming around again. I wonder if they've realized they’re going in circles yet._

As if on cue Leo heard a deep disgusting bark echo through the sewer, "Keep searching! I want that reward!"

Leo growled silently baring his teeth to the darkness. The footsteps of the Dragons faded into the distance and Leonardo knew he had about a minute until the second group of Dragons ran their way past his hideout.

_I stay here I'm a dead turtle. It's time to roll._

He took an audible breath, squared his shoulders, winced slighted as his shoulder pulled and ignored his knee. He was done hiding and planning. It was time to be like Raph and charge into battle. No more running away or a tactical retreating. It's time to face Goliath in the form of thirty-two street thugs.

He could hear the same sound as before coming from outside the door; feet hitting the water.

Time to fight.

Without a sound thought he stood up forcing his knee to take on his full weight. He was surprised when it didn't protest to his moving. A smile spread across Leonardo's face as he placed his hand on the door handle getting ready to pull it open silently.

All feeling in his body started to numb but his mind felt acute. He felt the beginnings of ultimate calmness seep into his system in anticipation for the oncoming assault against the Purple Dragons.

He heard the first set of running feet pass him, then the next and the next. They were slow going and breathing hard. He could hear that they were more spread out instead of being tightly grouped together like the first group by the way their feet hit the water more sporadically and farther apart. After counting the first twelve sets of feet go passed his door then retreat away Leo threw open the door soundlessly and jumped out of his hideout. He had his one sword out and arching into a bloody arc before he even fully left the dark confides of the storage room.

A scream was silenced before it was heard, a body fell to the ground - its face landing first in the water. If the Dragon wasn't dead yet he would die soon from lack of oxygen, from drowning. Leo sensed a chain advancing for the back of his head and he turned quickly. The girl Dragon opened her mouth revealing missing teeth surrounding a large tongue piercing. She tried to scream but a side punch to her temple had her crumpling to the ground, her face falling under the ankle deep water.

"Turtle!" came a hiss shattering the relative silence that had fallen the sewers. A sharp knife was flung at Leo's neck. He dodged easily feeling the rush of battle pull at his limbs. He ran, ignoring the way his knee whined, toward the thrower of the knife. He switched hands while running so his bad arm, that he still kept pinned to his side, held his single blade.

First, Leonardo threw out his good arm in an open handed punch knocking the wide-eyed teenaged Dragon off balance. The teenager flailed for a split second before Leo brought up his bad knee to kick him into the wall. The teenager bounced off the wall with a sickening crack that Leo guessed was either his arm or shoulder breaking before he collapsed to the ground in the thin area that was elevated off the ground, the teenager wouldn't drown like the other two he had just fought.

Leonardo looked down at the boy who still breathed at his feet then over to the two people who would never breathe again. His knee throbbed and he cursed himself for using it to kick the teenager. It wasn't worth it, he should have just used his sword and been done with it.

The blue banded turtle gritted his teeth, _three down… a lot more to go._

Leo looked back up at the sewers he had traveled more times than he cared to admit. He only then noticed how dim the tunnels were. He could see his hand in front if his face and his sword glinting in the artificial light but that was about it. It was too dim to fully see all the way down the tunnel, but that made Leo smile.

He was the master shadows, he thrived in darkness.

Slowly Leonardo sheathed his sword and chuckled, the Dragons had made a mistake following him down into his own turf. The sewers were his territory, his homeground, his kingdom. The Dragons couldn't get near his home; he wouldn't put his family in danger like that. The Dragons had to be slain to ensure they didn't accidentally stumble upon the lair.

Quickly yet silently Leo kicked the bodies of the Purple Dragons out of the way and into the darkened corners of the sewer. When he was sure no other Dragon would find them he backed way to walk down the tunnel.

Limping only slightly Leonardo walked away to seek the other gangsters. The first round of Dragons had gone in a circle before - odds on they'd do it again and when they did Leo would be there, hiding in the shadows, ready to divide them up. He would pick off the stragglers then work his way up until none remained.

He heard it, the sound that signaled feet approaching. He couldn't see them, the lights were too artificial, too dim but he could hear them, he could sense them.

Looking over he spotted a crack in the sewer tunnel leading to a walkway of a hidden shaft. The crack was just large enough for Leonardo to wedge his shell into, guiding his shoulder the whole time, and wait. Shadows engulfed him completely. Leo was almost positive that without the artificial light illuminating patches of the sewer he would be lost to the shadows.

The footsteps grew louder, they were rushing now. Though the light was dim Leo was able to see the first Dragon run passed him. He stayed, pulling on the old Japanese war trick of letting the first man through so the others would think the place safe. Another ran passed, Leo could see her hair flickering behind her as she sprinted by searching for him. Three more passed, then another five. He waited like a lion stalking his prey until he knew there were only five Dragons left who needed to run by him. He heard the sound of two sets of running feet and he jumped. As only God as his witness he jumped into the two Dragons drawing his sword at the last possible moment.

Both fell limp to the ground not even being able to clutch their stomachs as Leonardo almost sliced them in two.

The sound of blood hitting the sewer wall sickened Leonardo so much he wanted to throw up - or maybe he wanted to retch only because his shoulder had pulled roughly, dizzying him and throwing him off balance.

He collected himself by swallowing his nausea and preparing for the next three he knew were right behind those two. Not a second later three more Dragons appeared through the dim light.

One shouted, "It's Blue!" and was quickly silenced by a blow to the temple.

The other two felt the thud of Leonardo's hand as they were both punched against the wall with enough force to break bones. One fell roughly to the ground but the other stayed standing.

"Yer gonna ha'va do bett'n that Blue," the man spat blood and smiled reaching into his pocket. The movement was fast, Leonardo barely had time to react as the man pulled out his gun and aimed it at him. Leo was like quicksilver as he swung his blade slicing the gun and the man's hand in half. The man cried out only a second before Leo reversed his swing to bash him over the temple with the hilt of his sword.

The two men lay on the ground with their faces and top half of their bodies being the only part of them out of the sewer water.

Behind him a gun cocked and Leonardo froze, listening.

"Alright turtle man, turn around slowly and drop your sword. Come with me and-and I won' hurt ya too badly," a shaky voice ordered. The voice was definitely male but higher than what Leo would suspect a teenager to have.

Slowly he turned to face his wanna-be executioner.

A laugh escaped Leonardo's mouth before he could stop it. There standing just out of arms reach was a boy who looked no older than thirteen holding a gun that was far too big and bulky for his hand, he looked awkward holding the sleek metal of the firearm.

The boy was shaking, breathing hard. "I aint playin'! Drop your, uh, sword and put your arms behind your, uh... shell!" The boy nodded hastily squinting his eyes to look at Leo's shell. Leo smiled, the boy almost sounded like Mikey.

In one swift motion Leo sheathed his sword and took a step forward. The boy didn't even have time to scream as Leo smacked the gun hard out of his hand. The deadly weapon tumbled away sinking beneath the sewer water that was starting to run red from the blood of the Dragons he had killed.

The boy froze, his eyes widened in terror as he saw the bloodlust inside Leo's eye.

Leo cocked his head to the side indicating the dead gangsters, "You wanna be like them?"

The boy opened and closed his mouth soundlessly. Leo growled his meanest, most commanding growl, "Then I suggest you _leave_."

"But I saw you! I-I have to-to kill you now…" the boy whispered. His low voice still echoed off the sewer walls uncomfortably loud.

Leonardo backed away from the boy slowly, "Don't make yourself become the first child I've killed," he threatened drawing on his Leader voice. Even he had to admit his Leader voice sounded frightening and badass. It was the voice he had to call upon whenever he needed to get Mikey out of bed or Donnie into his bed from the lab or when he ordered Raph to stay next to him in battle.

The boy opened and closed his mouth again unsure of what to do. Leo said calmly, "I didn't see you, you didn't see me, got it? Now go!"

The boy nodded once then turned and took off down the tunnel towards an open manhole

Leonardo looked down at the dead people around him, wiped the sweat from his brow with his good hand then let out a long breath.

_Nine down, only shit-ton more to go._

Not a sound was made as he slipped back into the darkness of the shadows seeking more Dragons to destroy.


	4. Chapter 4

_A shit-ton was an understatement..._ Leonardo muttered in his head.

Shadows and darkness. He did not fear it. He did not fear the creeping darkness nor the slippery sewer walls that he ran his good hand along to keep from getting too far off track.

_Keep your right hand on the right wall at all times when you are lost, my sons. You will always be able to find your way home if you keep to the right._

_Yes sensei._ Seven-year-old Leonardo said first as he smiled at his father and pushed seven-year-old Donnie out of the way so he could place his hand firmly on the wall of the sewer outside their new home. He excitedly ran his still smooth and small hand over the rough walls. No calluses marred his skin, no scars ran over his knuckles. His hands were sinless and green. Tiny and clean.

Of course, young Leonardo knew not that the hands that touched the rough sewer walls would one day slay men and women and gauntlet wielding tyrants. That those hands, the hands that he used to play blocks with Michelangelo and color outside the lines with Donatello and help hoist up Raphael when he involved him in his schemes that - almost and regrettably - always included Raph needed a leg up to someplace high, would kill people that the turtle had deemed his enemy. Those hands would par with swords against wooden practice dummies, his father, his brothers and the Shredder. He would learn with those hands how to find the sensitive spots on ones neck and to delicately sew swollen skin together with a needle and thread. Katas would be learned, difficult maneuvers would be mastered, and bones would be broken. Life would be lost and saved all with those hands, his hands, the hands that grasped the slimy walls.

But, seven-year-old Leonardo didn't know that, he didn't _need_ to know that. Seven-year-old Leonardo was still a child. Still innocent and gold. He didn't know of the horrors and trials and split-second leader decisions he would have to make. He didn't know that he would hold the lives of his family in his small green hands sometimes, _many_ times, in the near future.

No, Leonardo didn't know that. This was the time before that. The time when he was innocent. Back before life hadn't sagged his shoulders and worry filled every feature on his face. Back when he knew not what the Leader Voice was or how to command it to move his brothers. Back when...

Leonardo slumped against the damp walls. His head collided against the wall as he put too much weight on his right arm and it buckled forcing his face to meet the cement.

"Dammit," Leo slurred a curse as he jerked his head away from the wall. The movement was quick and it pulled on his now numb shoulder in a way that would've sent fire across his body but now only ached loudly. Slowly, almost tentatively, Leo replaced his sweaty head back on the cold wall.

Twenty-three. Twenty-three Dragons were gone. Either dead or unconsciousness, frankly he didn't care about the fates of those Dragons. They'd ambushed him, attacked him when he was obviously injured, pursued him as he retreated - _limped_ \- away from them. They'd followed him into the sewers, into his turf. They were unhonorable and for that the blue banded turtle did not care what befell them in the heat of battle.

So far twenty-three Dragons were gone. Away. Out of the picture. Down for the count. But that number could've been ten or three or a thousand. It didn't matter. All he knew was that there were still Dragons left who were seeking his blood for some damn reward.

 _A reward. There's always a reward,_ Leo thought with a sarcastic sigh. _It's like this is a damn movie or something._

Leo rolled his wet head against the right wall trying to wipe away some of the sticky sweat that drenched his face. Drops of salty sweat dripped into his open mouth as he breathed heavily.

 _I wonder how much a ninja turtle goes for, how much am I worth...?_ Leo slowed his breathing trying to get his weary body under control. _I hope I'm worth more than Raph._

He was tired, his eyes were heavy and his limbs felt sluggish. It was around thug number... Seventeen? Eighteen? Oh, who cares - _insert thug number_ whatever _with a growl and a curse and calling him blue_ here - that he had finally lost feeling in his shoulder. His knee had long since stopped hurting even before that. He didn't know if it was adrenalin and the whole 'I am invincible and invincible people feel no pain' thing that he had forced himself to repeat over and over again to distract himself from the pain. But, all the same - his broken collarbone didn't hurt unless he moved his arm. Or someone touched it. Or he touched it. Or he moved to quickly. Or... well, as long as he was careful and didn't do anything too horrible he should be good with his shoulder.

_'Course fighting isn't really helping, I guess._

Sluggishly Leo pushed himself off the wall. He still had a job to do; the Dragons were still too close to his home. Also, a part of him silently hoped that one of the thugs had picked up his other sword. He wanted that back almost as much as he wanted to go home and sleep while simultaneously taking a hot shower and drinking a nice tall glass of water while someone massaged his good shoulder and read him parts of his favorite book and –

Okay, so really all he wanted was to sleep. He'd take that in a heartbeat.

 _One of these thugs has to have my sword._ Leo pushed himself away from the wall with more effort than it should have taken. _They wouldn't just leave it in the alley like I did. Some jackass would want to keep it as a memento or something. A souvenir maybe._

Running feet. Slow running feet but moving feet none the less. He heard them.

Leo closed his eyes and tried to count. He counted ten feet hitting the sewer water before he quit counting. Honestly, he didn't care how many Dragons were running towards him right now. He'd kill them or they would kill him. It didn't matter anymore. He was just so tired.

 _There were thirty-six Dragons who followed me down here,_ Leo remembered. _No, there were twenty-eight, not counting that boy who tried to shoot me... No... There were thirty-three thugs... No...it was twenty-four…No…Oh damn, I have no idea. It doesn't matter. I don't care._

He could hear the running feet getting closer. He hoped to God it was the last group.

He saw them before they saw him. The sewers were dim, but he was used to it. He thrived in darkness. Leonardo came away from the right wall almost reluctantly and stood in the middle of the sewer. There was no use hiding; they already knew he was here. They had all seen the bodies of their fellow gangbangers.

"There!" One girl yelled pointing at Leo who didn't move. The others quickened their pace.

The blue banded turtle leaned to one side slightly. His bad arm was crooked at an awkward angle trying to settle his throbbing shoulder. Leo was sure the angle looked painful and unnatural.

The group of Dragons slid to a sweaty stop, all breathing hard. Leo tried to count how many there were to try to steel himself for the fight ahead but he couldn't. He was breathing too hard himself, the figures were swaying. Or maybe he was swaying, he didn't know. He didn't care. Leo forced himself to slow his breathing. _Get yourself under control, Leonardo!_

"You're all that's left." Leo said loudly. It wasn't a question. It was an honest to God hope that these were the last of them.

A man in front whose white wife-beater shirt was stained with brown sweat drew a long knife from his pocket. "You killed all my buddies," he hissed.

"They're not all dead," Leo was slightly proud of his own unwavering voice. "Some of them are still alive and ready to hunt my family or steal from an innocent person or kill some helpless civilian again."

Three men charged at Leo a second later. He unsheathed his bloody sword a few seconds after they attacked. The first man sent his baseball bat for the back of Leo's head. The second tried to use only his hands to grab for Leo's neck. And the third, the one who spoke before, tried to jab his knife into Leo's plastron.

Leo grunted as he grabbed for the knife first before swinging it and the arm and body attached to it towards the thug with the bat. The two men collided together. Leo kept a firm hold on both of them before swinging them into the third, unarmed man. He let go of the men at the same time and forced their heads together. Their faces and foreheads smacked together with a sickening _crack_. They were silent as they fell to the ground. Their heads disappearing under the water. It didn't matter though, they were dead anyway. No human skull could take a hit like that. Their skulls were caved in, no doubt.

It wasn't his best fighting. Leo had to admit it was downright sloppy. No form. No rhyme or reason to the way he grabbed them. But it was some damn good defense for how tired he was. No, not tired, how exhausted he was. How badly he just wanted to sleep.

Leo staggered backwards a few steps, momentarily disoriented as a wave of nausea washed over him. He wanted to throw up. He felt the bile coming up his throat. The room spun. His legs felt like nothing. His couldn't breathe. He could feel his heart pounding.

There were still six Dragons standing in front of him.

He forced the bile back down his throat. No time for sickness, no time for pain. No time. _No time._

Leonardo looked down at the mangled bodies a few feet ahead of him then up to the three teenage girls with facial piercings and three teenage boys with ragged and baggy pants in front of him. They stared at him for a long moment. Leo, usually the picture of patience spoke first. He was tired and sick and injured and dammit, he just wanted to sleep.

He sucked in a breath. "Well...? Who's next?"

No one moved. One of the boys licked his lips. Another crouched down into an attack position. The third, the one in front, straightened back up.

"It ain't worth a thousand bucks," the third said.

 _A thousand dollars. So that's what I'm worth. Well, damn. I would'a thought at least half a million,_ Leo thought sarcastically.

A girl with blonde dreadlocks also straightened up. "Come on Sky, he's injured. Look at him! We can take 'im!"

"Yeah, the otha's are comin' anyways. We got dis bro," the second guy said eying Leo threateningly.

"There are no others, dumbass," Third Guy hissed. "Their all dead. We're the last ones." The last part was said so low Leo had to read the teen's lips. The two other girls eyes widened in horror. Leo had to bite back his smirk.

Leo took another step forward. He knew he was going to pass out. The six Dragons stiffened. He took another step.

"Get out of my turf," Leo growled lowering his head until a shadow passed over his eyes making him look truly like the Blue Demon that was well known to every Purple Dragon.

The second guy spoke, "This isn't over, Blue. You'll get what's comin' to ya, _freak_!"

At that the six remaining Dragons fled from Leo. He watched their retreating forms for a few seconds until the sounds died out… he was alone.

Leonardo visibly sagged and staggered over to the wall. He made rough contact with the hard surface. His breath was coming fast, his heart beating rapidly. His knee was still numb but his shoulder more than made up for it. It burned with fury every time he tried to move. The numbness and achy feeling he'd once had had all but disappeared as soon as the first three men attacked him.

The soft sound of a light footstep behind him had Leonardo swinging around as fast as he could. Which, honestly, was quite slowly and painfully. Tears swelled in his eyes as his shoulder tugged. He was going to throw up. He knew it.

_What now? There can't be anymore Dragons. I can't fight anymore. I can't –_

A small, inaudible gasp escaped Leo's mouth as he gazed at the same boy from before in front of him. The boy he'd told to leave before he killed him was standing before him clutching Leonardo's lost blade tightly. Slowly, Leo reached up to finger his other, still sheathed blade on his back to make sure it wasn't the same one. When his fingers touched the worn leather of the sword in his holster Leo again sagged in relief. The boy was holding his other sword.

"You killed all those Dragons." The boy whispered staring up at him while still clutching his weapon.

Leo searched for a moment to find his voice. When he did he took a shallow breath.

"Whether killing and death is evil depends on who is telling the story," he answered back trying not to flinch at his own harsh words.

The boy nodded. Without taking his eyes off of Leo the boy crouched down placing the sword on the ground.

"I was never here. We never saw each other." He informed Leo repeating the turtles own words from before. The boy pivoted quickly on his foot and sprinted away.

Leo stared at the darkness for a long minute in utter disbelief. He slowly, stiffly, _painfully_ reached down to pick up his blade then let a small smile tug at his lips. Now he could go home.

Finally.

* * *

Leonardo couldn't remember walking through the tunnels. He couldn't remember sheathing his sword or putting one foot in front of the other as he walked. He couldn't remember sliding his right hand along the walls as he made his way back to the Lair. All he knew was that somehow he was now in front of the secret door and somehow his fingers were typing in the code to enter. _Somehow_ he'd made it home. The door opened before Leo even knew he'd entered the entire code. Raphael's voice rang through the air before the door had opened completely.

"Where the shell have you been!? Do you know what time it is, Leonardo? You better have a good excuse this - " Raph abruptly stopped talking when Leo staggered into the lair.

"Hey Raphie," Leo muttered before his legs gave out from under him. Raph closed the distance between the two in mere milliseconds catching Leo before he could crumple to the ground. The red turtle kept away from his older brother's obviously injured shoulder. It was horribly swollen and a bump protruded right where his collarbone was. Looking him over some more Raph noticed that his knee was equally as swollen. Also, Leonardo was drenched in sweat and... blood.

"Woe there buddy," Raph said gently noticing Leo's eyes were fluttering. "Let's get you into Don's lab... Ya need ta lie down."

His older brother didn't open his eyes. "Hmmm, lying down seems like a good idea." He whispered softly. "Where's tha g-guys-s," Leo slurred.

Slowly, carefully, Raph wrapped his arm around Leo's shell then grabbed his brother's good arm and slug it over his own shoulders. "Donnie!" Raph yelled loudly making Leo wince. "Sorry bro. Mike's sleepin' and Don's probably asleep too. It's four thirty in the morning." Raph informed Leo. Leo grunted, eyes still closed. The two turtles made an awkward shuffle towards Donatello's lab. They were slow going. Leo's body refused to move fast. He was so tired.

"I like this." Raph tried to keep Leo talking. "Ya ain't bossing me around when yer all sick and dependent 'n shit."

A ghost of a chuckle escaped Leo's dry lips, "If you wan' to I c'n order you to do a few hundred flips... for ol'times s-sake." He stuttered.

Raph forced his voice to stay light. They were almost to the lab. "You do that and I'll feed you oatmeal an' force ya to get by by your own gimpy self."

"Mmmm, I hate oatmeal..." Leo answered dreamily. "Can I have rice instead?" Leo's eyes were closed and his voice, barely audible. Raph half thought his brother was sleep talking, not really realizing what he was saying.

"Anything you want, Leo." Raph muttered lowly now practically dragging his older brother into Don's lab.

The purple turtle didn't even turn around as Raph opened the door. His eyes were glued to the computer screen in front of him. "Hey! There _is_ a sign on the door it says _Knock Before Entering_! Does no one here understand the meaning of Do Not Ent-"

"Don, shut up. Leo's hurt," Raph growled. Don shot around and drew a quick breath before jumping from his chair. Together they helped Leo down onto the make shift hospital bed. The blue turtle groaned as his shoulder made contact with the bed.

"I'll go get my med kit," called Don behind him as he sprinted out of the room.

Raph placed his hand gently in Leo's sweaty forehead. "You look like shit bro," he said softly. "What the shell happened?"

Leo opened his heavy eyes and smirked while letting out a short breath. "It's kinda a long story."

Raph let out his own short breath, "I'm sure it is... Try to get some sleep. Don should be back in a second. You really do look like shit."

Leo couldn't stop himself, "yeah well... You're kinda ugly too."

Raph's eyes widened before he let out a low chuckle from the back of his throat. "Still prettier n'you."

Leo's eyes were closed. His voice quiet. Raph had to come closer to hear him. "In your dreams, Raphie."

Don rushed back into the lab toting his med kit and lightly shouldering Raph out of the way.

"Hey Donnie..." Leo breathed looking through his heavy eye lids to see Don moving around him hurriedly.

"Hey Leo," Don forced a smile down at him. Something pinched Leo's good arm. "I'm going to set up an IV line and inject you with morphine, okay Leo? This is going to hurt, I'm not gonna lie. I'm going to have to reset the bones in your shoulder and then work on your collarbone. When that's done I'll look at your knee and..."

Leo didn't hear the rest of what Don was saying. He could already feel himself slipping into sleeps warm embrace.

The blue turtle tried to keep his eyes open. He wanted to just look at his brothers. He wanted to take in their presence and just stare at them. He wanted to know that they were safe. He wanted to know that if only just for tonight he had protected them the best he could.

A large hand settled on his forehead again. Raph's fuzzy face came into view. "Go to sleep, Fearless. We'll be here when you wake up."

Leo nodded once before his eyes slid shut and he breathed out a sigh of utter relief. He was home and he was in good hands.

_End._


End file.
